15 Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Copenhagen for the First Time

I loved Copenhagen so much when first visiting in 2016 that I ended up moving here, and the city has gotten even better since then. From Liveable Cities rankings to its 2023 World Capital of Architecture title, Denmark’s capital is enjoying a lengthy spell in the limelight. 

The title of Danny Kaye’s 1952 song—Wonderful Copenhagen—still rings true today. After living here for almost three years (and having visited seven times before moving), I figured that now is the time to put together this guide offering tips for first-time visitors to Copenhagen. 

Many Museums Are Closed on Mondays 

If you’re planning to visit one of Copenhagen’s many excellent museums, choose when you go wisely. Many of the city’s museums are closed on Mondays. 

With the exception of Mondays, you shouldn’t have too many problems visiting Copenhagen’s museums on another day. Public holidays are the only exception. 

You can get the Copenhagen Card if you’re planning to visit multiple museums during your trip. The card also gives you free unlimited public transport, plus various discounts.

You Probably Won’t Need Cash 

Pretty much everywhere in Copenhagen accepts card payments, and you’ll almost never need to use physical notes and coins. 

Considering that many banks will charge a fee for using your card abroad, it’s worth setting up an account with a mobile-only bank to waive these. I used Monzo for foreign transactions when I lived in the UK, and if you’re still based in Britain, it’s a great option. 

Revolut is also an ideal choice if you’re based outside the UK. 

Booking a Restaurant Table Is a Good Idea

Copenhagen is a paradise for foodies, but the locals know this all too well. If you’re planning to eat out in the Danish capital, booking a table in advance is a good idea—especially if you’re visiting during a busy period. 

Many restaurants will let you book a table online. If the site is only in Danish, “bestil bord” means “book table”. You’ll need to leave your name and contact details, but you usually don’t need to make an advance payment or deposit. 

Denmark Has Public Holidays That You Might Not be Used To 

Besides Christmas, Easter, and New Year, Denmark has some holidays that catch tourists out. While restaurants might be open on these days, many tourist attractions are closed—and the same goes for most grocery stores. 

In particular, you should keep the following days in mind: 

• Kristi Himmelfarts Dag (Ascension Day): Takes place 40 days after Easter. 
• Pinsedag (Whit Sunday): The seventh Sunday after Easter.  
• 2. Pinsedag: The day after Pinsedag. 
• Grundlovsdag (5th June): Danish Constitution Day. 
• Skærtorsdag: The day before Good Friday. 

Store Bededag (Great Prayer’s Day) was one of those public holidays, but the government made an unpopular decision to scrap the holiday from 2024 onwards.

Tivoli Isn’t Open Year-Round

Tivoli is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Copenhagen, but the theme park is only open for four separate periods throughout the year. Between each season, it closes its doors to prepare for the next sprint. 

The seasons for Tivoli change each year. 

Most Copenhageners Leave Town in July 

Denmark has some of the world’s most generous annual leave policies, and many Copenhageners take three weeks off in July. Many stay in Denmark but go to the summer houses, many of which are along the coastline just north of the Danish capital. 

As a result, many businesses—including several restaurants—close for the entirety of July. Though the weather is usually great and the days are long, keep in mind that July is also one of the busiest tourist seasons in the Danish capital. 

Copenhagen Only Has One Airport 

Flying to Copenhagen is easy as there is only one airport: Kastrup Airport. It’s just under 15 minutes from the city centre by train, and both premium and budget airlines fly here. 

If you take a budget flight, you might find yourself in one of the older parts of the airport. Nonetheless, you don’t need to worry about ending up in some obscure town in the middle of nowhere. 

Malmö theoretically has an airport known as Malmö Sturup Airport. However, there is literally no point in flying there if you want to visit Copenhagen as it’s 40 minutes from Malmö—which is then another 30-45 minutes from the Danish capital. Even if you plan to visit Malmö, it’s typically easier to fly to Copenhagen Airport and take the train across the Øresund Bridge. 

Copenhagen Airport’s code is CPH. 

Rules Are Taken *Very* Seriously Here 

I was a naïve 21-year-old when I first visited Copenhagen, and I probably should’ve read up about the rules before travelling. Why? Because the Danes take rules very seriously—especially when it comes to jaywalking. 

The first time I crossed a red light led to others looking at me like I had just murdered someone, and let’s just say it was also the last time I did that. Having come close to running down people on my bike after they emulated my stupidity, I now understand why people were irritated with me. 

Even if there are no cars coming, it’s a good idea to wait until the person turns green. Because chances are, a bike is probably nearby. 

Many Shops Open Late and Close Early 

If you’re visiting from the UK (well, specifically London), you may get thrown off guard by the fact that many shops don’t open until 10:00 on weekdays. They also close at 17:00 or 18:00, so you’ll need to keep this in mind if you’re used to longer opening hours. 

This rule doesn’t apply to grocery stores, which are usually open from 07:00 or 08:00 as late as 23:00—even on Sundays. 

You Can Shop Tax-Free (In Some Cases) 

Copenhagen is great for finding all those fancy Scandinavian clothing brands with Ø that you’ve tried hard to pronounce. However, prices for everything are very high here—and in Denmark, you pay 25% VAT on almost everything. 

The good news is that if you don’t live in an EU country, you can get a tax refund on purchases over 300 DKK (except for alcohol and services). That means you can save some extra money on your trip if you live in the UK, US, Canada, or Australia. 

You can learn more about tax-free shopping here.

You May Not Like the Restaurant Service 

If you’re used to the waiters asking about your life story, you’re in for a shock when you visit Copenhagen. It’s a misconception that waiting staff here are rude—they’re simply doing their job, but a lot of visitors come with a sense of entitlement that they should be treated like royalty. 

Waiting staff will typically be polite, but they’re often not going to go out of their way to chat with you. That’s largely because they get paid pretty well and don’t need to rely on tips… I don’t know about you, but I’d rather that situation. 

You Don’t Need to Tip in Copenhagen 

Because most service staff receive a good income compared to similar jobs elsewhere, you often don’t need to tip in Copenhagen. A service charge is usually added to your overall bill, so everything—including VAT—is included in your final bill. 

You can leave a tip if you want to, but it’s not expected in most cases. 

There’s More to Copenhagen Than the Old Town 

Many tourists come to Copenhagen but don’t leave the Indre By district, which is where most of the famous attractions—such as Nyhavn and Amalienborg Palace are. But to be honest, you’re missing out on a lot if you don’t venture further afield. 

I guess I’m now an adopted Copenhagener in the fact I wear lots of Danish clothing brands, ride a bike, and can speak Danish reasonably well. And I, like many people living here, don’t actually spend a huge amount of time in the inner city. Neighbourhoods like Frederiksberg, Østerbro, and Vesterbro will reward you if you go with a curious mind. (Yes, Frederiksberg technically isn’t Copenhagen… but it might as well be. That comment has probably banned me from being allowed to move back there, but whatever.) 

If you have more time, you can even take a day trip to Copenhagen’s surroundings. For example, you can reach Malmö in less than an hour—and picturesque Helsingør is around 45 minutes away. You could also spend some time in Aarhus; Denmark’s second-biggest city is around three hours from Copenhagen. 

Bike Rentals Are Available Citywide 

You’ll almost instantly realise that cycling is the top way to get around for many people in Copenhagen, and you may decide that you want to join them. The good news is that bike rentals are available citywide, and many hotels also let you borrow bikes.

Donkey Republic is, in my opinion, the easiest way to rent a bike in Copenhagen. You’ll notice the bright orange bikes throughout the city, and you both rent and return these with the mobile app. The longer you ride, the cheaper your journey gets. You can download the app on iOS and Android.

You’ll also find bike rental stores throughout Copenhagen. 

Some Museums Have Free Days 

Visiting museums in Copenhagen can get quite expensive, but you can cut your costs by going to these institutions on days when entry is free. For example, Glyptoteket lets you enter for free on the last Wednesday of every month. 

Meanwhile, the Copenhagen City Museum is free for everyone each Wednesday. Note that in many places, under 18s go for free all the time.